Jumping Through Cultural, Language and Work Barriers (Part 2)

In Senegal, a foreign woman is equivalent to money, power or as they say “the sweetest thing in life.” As a female volunteer, I faced unwanted attention throughout my service. Some influencing factors included I was a woman and a prize to be won. Other volunteers suggested that the attention would subside as time lingered. Their statements could not have been further from the truth. After two months, the need for attention stopped in my community but not when I would leave my region for meetings.

In certain organizations, I encountered men who would try to take advantage of female volunteers. One of the methods I used to mitigate the situation was to bring my work partners in every meeting. This greatly reduced their inappropriate behaviors and gestures towards me. It also taught them to respect me because I worked for a non-profit organization. On that note, some Senegalese men cannot differentiate between being professional or personal in a work setting. Unfortunately, most of them have been shown to approach women in this manner. I continue to be repulsed by these attitudes from some Senegalese men.

The main questions they would ask were if I was married or whether I had children. Although it is a standard question asked my men and women in Senegal, I always felt uneasy about the intentions behind their statements and deeds. It took me awhile to understand that they posed the question the same way you would ask someone “How are you doing”in the states.

In this state of vulnerability, it made me highly conscious of people’s intentions towards me. I was still open to the opportunities that God had bestowed upon me and I still kept my radar on. It required adopting new behaviors that would have not been pertinent in the States and/or Haiti.

As people knew me better in the region, they stopped asking these questions. Overtime, I learned to handle these circumstances with poise and grace. It also made them realize that it did not matter whether or not I was married because I did not come to fulfill these purposes in Senegal. As a result, they became more interested in the work I was doing in my village.  

Another coping strategy was to ensure that my deeds, statements, and body language were in concordance with each other. For instance, if I said that “I did not come here to Senegal to get married. I came here for work. ”Thenceforth, my actions had to exemplify the authenticity of my statement. One lesson I have learned is that some Senegalese men prey on any signs of weakness.

As a woman, I had to define my physical, emotional and time boundaries. I even had to teach people to knock by saying “Con Con” before entering my room. Tourism and my proximity to the Gambian border are the main reasons that increased my chances of being viewed as a tourist. I had to take care of my safety 100% times more since coming to Senegal.

In the Senegalese environment, I always felt a lack of control because decisions were always made for me. Until I placed my life in my own hands, I began to understand that I needed to define the purpose of external factors in my life and not let them define my journey. Essentially, some Senegalese could have continued to treat me unfairly and show a lack of understanding. But, it does not mean that I had to let their actions deter my objectives. These examples represent the many challenges I have overcome while undertaking work in my community.

My projects have thrived despite the inconsistency, ambiguity, miscommunications I have faced in my service. I learned to be a sagacious woman using my intellect and self-reliance to survive in my environment. I proved myself worthy by working hard and showing by example that a woman can achieve as far as the sky’s limit despite living in harsh conditions. I could have given up and let this experience take the best of me or seize the opportunity to shine despite these minor nuisances. I chose to do the latter and it molded me into a better person.

Overall, I have redefined my womanhood in Senegal and embraced portions of the culture that have been integral to my personal development. Most importantly, the Senegalese have taught me that people will only see the excellency you perceive in yourself. I continue to use education as a tool to advocate on our oneness as a community. Although we are of different cultural backgrounds, we have more similarities than differences. One thing I know for sure as a Peace Corps volunteer is that we are resilient people and we are creative beyond measure.